At Above the Law, David Lat: Nino And Me: An Interview With Bryan A. Garner. From the introduction:
August is a nice, slow month — a perfect time for lawyers to catch up on their pleasure reading, perhaps at the beach or pool. If you’re looking for something that’s a pleasure to read — but not a guilty pleasure, because it’s also very smart and informative — then check out Nino and Me: My Unusual Friendship with Justice Antonin Scalia, by Bryan A. Garner.
Garner, the longtime editor of Black’s Law Dictionary, is most famous among lawyers as a lexicographer and expert in legal writing. But Nino and Me reveals the person behind the pen, since it’s Garner’s memoir of his friendship with the late Justice Scalia, with whom he worked closely on two books: Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges and Reading Law: The Interpretation of Legal Texts.
Garner’s memoir appealed to me, as it will appeal to large segments of the Above the Law readership, on two levels. First, it’s a book for people who are Article III groupies— i.e., folks who are fascinated by the federal judiciary and federal judges, especially justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. Garner gives Justice Scalia the full celebrity treatment, revealing fun facts like what the justice liked to sing in the shower (p. 112), his issues with Mexican food (p. 112), what he thinks of Serena and Venus Williams (p. 298), and whether he enjoyed Bridge of Spies (p. 336). It’s also full of delicious tidbits of “inside baseball,” like Justice Scalia’s reaction to his famous spat with Judge Richard Posner (p. 196), and whether it affected Justice Scalia’s hiring of Posner clerks to work for him at SCOTUS (p. 227). (On the other hand, if you share Professor Rick Hasen’s concerns about “judicial celebrity,” then this might not be the book for you.)
Second, Nino and Me will appeal to readers who appreciate good writing — on two levels. First, it’s a beautifully written book, full of elegant, novelistic prose. …
Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of speaking by phone with Professor Garner about Nino and Me. Here’s a (lightly edited and condensed) write-up of our conversation.
And here is the book description from Amazon:
From legal expert and veteran author Bryan Garner comes a unique, intimate, and compelling memoir of his friendship with the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
For almost thirty years, Antonin Scalia was arguably the most influential and controversial Justice on the United States Supreme Court. His dynamic and witty writing devoted to the Constitution has influenced an entire generation of judges.
Based on his reputation for using scathing language to criticize liberal court decisions, many people presumed Scalia to be gruff and irascible. But to those who knew him as “Nino,” he was characterized by his warmth, charm, devotion, fierce intelligence, and loyalty.
Bryan Garner’s friendship with Justice Scalia was instigated by celebrated writer David Foster Wallace and strengthened over their shared love of language. Despite their differing viewpoints on everything from gun control to the use of contractions, their literary and personal relationship flourished. Justice Scalia even officiated at Garner’s wedding.
In this humorous, touching, and surprisingly action-packed memoir, Garner gives a firsthand insight into the mind, habits, and faith of one of the most famous and misunderstood judges in the world.
Posted at 6:05 AM